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What are the theological foundations of Christian ministry? What
should a vital Christian ministry look like in the world today?
Teacher and veteran of urban ministry Bryan Stone addresses these
important questions in an engaging and challenging book.
Compassionate Ministry explores systematically the relationship
between Christian doctrines of God, church, and human existence,
and the focus and meaning of ministry today. It offers a solid
introduction to the theology of ministry through an approach rooted
in the compassion of God, which Stone shows is evident throughout
the scriptures and made real in the incarnation and ministry of
Jesus. Compassionate Ministry locates a primary focus in the
experience of suffering and poverty which marks daily life for the
majority of people today. Stone builds continually on this insight,
drawing out the dimensions of a humanizing ministry that
participates in restoring the "image of God" in which all have been
created: an image of freedom, humanity, community. Understanding
God as all-compassionate, and Jesus as the Compassion of God, this
book provides a model of a compassionate church as a "liberating
community: " people who, knowing what they believe, work and
worship together in the service of humanizing praxis in their own
community, and in the world at large. Finally, this ministry call
for "compassionate evangelism" which proceeds itself from the
community, as a more holistic and historical approach than current
consensus might suggest.
This Reader presents a diverse and ecumenical cross-section of
ecclesiological statements from across the twenty centuries of the
church's existence. It builds on the foundations of early Christian
writings, illustrates significant medieval, reformation, and modern
developments, and provides a representative look at the robust
attention to ecclesiology that characterizes the contemporary
period. This collection of readings offers an impressive overview
of the multiple ways Christians have understood the church to be
both the 'body of Christ' and, at the same time, an imperfect,
social and historical institution, constantly subject to change,
and reflective of the cultures in which it is found. This
comprehensive survey of historical ecclesiologies is helpful in
pointing readers to the remarkable number of images and metaphors
that Christians have relied upon in describing the church and to
the various tensions that have characterized reflection on the
church as both united and diverse, community and institution,
visible and invisible, triumphant and militant, global and local,
one and many. Students, clergy and all interested in Christianity
and the church will find this collection an invaluable resource.
This Reader presents a diverse and ecumenical cross-section of
ecclesiological statements from across the twenty centuries of the
church's existence. It builds on the foundations of early Christian
writings, illustrates significant medieval, reformation, and modern
developments, and provides a representative look at the robust
attention to ecclesiology that characterizes the contemporary
period. This collection of readings offers an impressive overview
of the multiple ways Christians have understood the church to be
both the 'body of Christ' and, at the same time, an imperfect,
social and historical institution, constantly subject to change,
and reflective of the cultures in which it is found. This
comprehensive survey of historical ecclesiologies is helpful in
pointing readers to the remarkable number of images and metaphors
that Christians have relied upon in describing the church and to
the various tensions that have characterized reflection on the
church as both united and diverse, community and institution,
visible and invisible, triumphant and militant, global and local,
one and many. Students, clergy and all interested in Christianity
and the church will find this collection an invaluable resource.
Drawing on their research involving urban pastors from across
the United States, Bryan Stone and Claire Wolfteich identify and
examine spiritual practices that foster excellence in urban
ministry. After discussing the specific challenges facing urban
pastors and presenting the kinds of excellence required of them,
Stone and Wolfteich explore several practices that help sustain
ministers working in urban contexts, such as cultivating holy
friendships, practicing Sabbath, maintaining lives of prayer and
study, and setting appropriate boundaries. Throughout, the authors
weave together stories from urban pastors from a variety of
denominations with insights from the history of Christian
spirituality and theology to chart a theological course for the
formation and renewal of pastors in diverse contemporary
contexts.
From the powerful Shawshank Redemption to the classic comedy Oh,
God! Stone uses movies and phrases of the Apostles' Creed to
illustrate basic themes of theology and how they manifest
themselves in popular culture.
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